Youth exchange program to 'broaden rural opportunities'

According to their website, The Youth Camp and Exchange (YCE) programme, created in 1961 by Lions International, "brings the idea of global citizenship to life."

Their program gives thousands of young people worldwide the opportunity to experience life in other cultures and gain a new understanding of the world through travel abroad each year.

YCE does not involve academic study or employment, unlike some youth exchange programs.

The Youth Exchange Program is for youth aged 15 to 21 years of age to have the opportunity to experience cultural understanding among the world's people.

For many years, the Rural Youth Club has sent Tasmanian young people on agricultural experiences overseas and had rural youth from overseas come to Tasmania to work with various rural businesses and organisations.

Since COVID, both the Lions International Youth Exchange Program and Rural Youth Exchange Program are rebuilding the numbers of young people leaving Australia to experience what they could not in Australia and increasing the numbers of young people coming to Tasmania as part of a rural experience.

Agfest is one of the most significant agricultural annual events in Tasmania.

Lions International is one of the largest service organisations in the world, with over 1.4 million members and active in more than 130 countries.

During Agfest, both organisations sought ways to work together to broaden both programs.

Since Agfest was held this month, the Lions Club decided to team up with Rural Youth and the organisers of Agfest, to support the young people in Tasmania.

Over the three days of Agfest, ten young Tasmanians indicated they were interested in an exchange experience.

Lions indicated that they would contact their colleagues overseas to see if there are young people from rural areas who would like to visit Tasmania.

Rural Youth have sponsorship from various companies that will make this possible.

All parties agreed that they need to support youth from rural areas and, where possible, keep them engaged in the range of opportunities available in the rural sector.

Developing networks between large international bodies like Lions and Rural Youth of Tasmania is one step in making this happen.

Lions International youth exchange coordinator Bob Dunne said the trend for young people growing up in agricultural areas within Tasmania and elsewhere in the world to stay in agriculture is declining.

"Rural youth out-migration is driven by more than purely economic factors," he said.

"Scholars agree that if you can develop cultures, values, identities, significant others and inclusion in peer groups, you have a much better chance of young people remaining on the land.

"Youth exchange programs that encourage people from different cultures to meet others with the same background in other parts of the world help build that culture and a sense of community that is wider than just the neighbours across the paddock or from your small rural school."

The youth exchange coordinator said the sense of rural belonging spreads "far wider than the shores of Bass Strait and creates links and opportunities for life."

"Many Tasmanian young people appear to be moving to the mainland for either education or employment," Mr Dunne said.

"This trend is also happening with young rural Tasmanians.

"Some say that expectations need raising amongst some of our rural youth."

He said participation in more comprehensive programs than 'the farm gate', such as Lions Youth Exchange or Rural Youth Exchange, can help.

"Sometimes finances are tight, but this is where reaching out to organisations such as Lions can help," Mr Dunne said.